Automatic control of clutch and throttle actuation of automotive vehicles



Mrch 28` 1939'. "1R, vs'. wHiTTlNGroN AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF CLUTCH AND `THROTTLE -ACTUATTON OF" AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Original Filed July l5, 1932 lll i? Il llmmll y n mvENToR ifa/W5. #wrm/my j BY C v ,'ATroRN `Y.

' whenr the accelerator is ,Batented Mar. 28, 1939 r`Arrroivra'rrc .coN'raoL-*or 'oLU'rcn AND 'rnno'r'rLE AcrUATIoN .or AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES l"Ralph s. Whittington; springaela, `ag-.mgnnr l to Bendix Products Corporationfsouth Bend,

` kInd., aecorporation of Indiana f original application `munis, 1932, serial' No.

622,703. Divided and this application Novem- *l ber 1;, 1931, serial No. 172,111

s claims. '.(ci. 1oz-L01) 'I'hisinvention relates to -an automatic control means for use in controlling the actuation of throttle `and clutch v0f an vmitemotive vehicle .in their properrelation. yj One of the primary. objects of this invention is toprovide a control means of the above-mentioned character whichv 'will automatically control the disengagement and engagement .of the clutchrplates, and also control automatically' the Iacceleration of the motor during the period that the clutch plates are contacting.v f

Still further, this invention contemplates the provision of a control means of vthe,above-inentioned character vwhich will, allow theclutch plate pressure to increasejorl the accelerator is depressed, orreleased'during the rangeof clutch engagement.r l

This inventionL also 'provides means effecting a slower final contacting ofthe clutch plates at slow motor speeds than `at higher motor speeds,

depressed rapidly. Other -objects of .the invention and.desirable details of construction and combinationsof parts will become apparent Afrom the following descrip- J tion of a-preferredembodiment, which description -is taken. in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view, partly in section, ofy ai control means constructed in accordance with this invention and y Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 2'-2 of'Figure 1.

In general, this invention provides an automatic control means for the clutch of` an automotivegvehicle which also accelerates the motor .automatically at they instant that the clutch begins to engage. lIn prior devices of thisnature, this has been accomplishedby means vof mechanical `,connection tothe acceleratorpedal of such kind that the-carburetor throttle valvewould be opened the properamount at the .time the clutch started engagement.. y been al delicate adjustment and` one thatv required frequent adjustment to secure` the proper relation of the beginning oi clutch plate contact.

This invention alsoprovides a method of con- `tactingthe clutchv plates under full control of the accelerator pedalposition, giving the operatoroi.' the i'ehicle'ltietter control while maneuverlng the car in' close quarters.

Referring then to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a system composed of a conduit II).

adaptedto be connected to the intake manifold sa so Vthat vacuum irom'the intake system acts in h decrease accordingly asv However, this has throttle valve' setting andthe -Thus spring throttle return spring 51, can act to open the carpassage I2. Piston I4v is operated lby thek acncelerator pedal I5. Vacuum can then act by piston I4 by virtue of reduced portion I6 and by reduced portion I'I of valve 20 to passage 22.r w Carburetor riser 24 is divided into passage `26, adapted tok be connected to the intake manifold, and passage 28, adapted tobe connected to the carburetonby carburetor throttle valve 30. Then port 32 is subject to the vacuum .of the intake manifold as the motor idles and is made subject to near atmospheric pressure in passage 28 as the throttle vvalve 30A is opened. As the motor idles, vacuum acts through port 32, through conduit, to .passage 36,4and thenthrough groove 38 of valve 40. Atmosphericpressure can then` act throughhole 42 to holdvalve 40 in theposition shownin Figure 1. Thus, a direct passage, from passage I2 to passage 36 is provided, allowing vacuum; from the intake system to energize a vacuumV motor ,39 to. relea`se'the clutch. The

clutch. `diagrammatically illustrated by a driving plate 43, a driven plate 43' and clutch springsl 4I,

is operated bythe motor 3,9, the piston or power element 31 thereof being connected to the plate 43 by.a.:rod 35. f-

20 and' passage 46 on valve 4&8, allowing atmospheric pressure acting through hole 50 .toevercome spring 52 and hold valvev 48 in the position shown inFigure 1. Y;

1 When the accelerator isdepressed. piston I4 moves to shut loiivacuum from passage I2 and -allows atmosphere to enter passages'22 and 36 through groove 54 in piston I4, The atmosphere entering the motor 33 effects ardeenergization thereof and v`allowsthe clutch springs 4I to expand.V The clutch plates then movetowardengagement v and.v the expanding .c action of said springs creates a vacuum inthe motor 33 to hold valve 40 vopen until' the clutch .plates contact,kl

When the clutch plates contact, there is a drop in vacuum in the motor 39 and passage 36, thereby.r permitting a closing oi thevalve 40.

Also, the reductionof vacuum in passage 22 allowsvlspring 52 to move valve 48, and arm v56 attached to the valve ,48 contacts an enlargement 58 oi.' carburetor throttle valve control rod 60. 52,. which is stronger than the buretorthrottle valve, as soon as the clutch plates contact to reduce the Avacuum created bythe clutch motor 39 in the passage 22. The enlargement 58 and a plunger 59 `provided with aport '6I togetherconstitute a dashpot mechanism, in the connection between the accelerator .I5 and- 25 Vacuum also acts through groove 44 of valve the throttle 30: however, no claim is made to this dashpot mechanism, inasmuch as the same is disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 2,103,284,

dated December 28, 1937.

Control valve 20 is tobe operated by the driver of the vehicleto render the automatic control system completely inoperative when desired.

When piston is moved inward, passage I2 is closed from passage 22, regardless of the accelerator position, and passage 22 is in communication with the atmosphere through groove l8` of piston 20. Thus the clutch cannot be completely released by vacuum acting through conduit 34.

Air will be drawn through conduit 34, but the quantity need not be great'enough to disturbthe carburetionof the motor.

Also, as control piston -20 is moved inward, vacuum from passage I 2 is allowed to act, through passage' 62 and groove 44 oi control piston 20 to passage 46, on=piston 48, holding piston 48 in the position shown in Figure 1. lThis prevents the automatic acceleration of the motor while starting the vehicle manually.

Door 64 is attached-to one side of the carburetor riser and provided with the .radius (iii, which conforms to the movement of throttle valve 30. As the throttle valve 30 is opened, the edge of the throttle valve passes directly over the face of port '32 without creating an opening-of the throttle at this point. Thus an accurate means is provided of subjecting varying areas of port 32V to vacuum in passage 26 and 'near' atmospherlc pressure in passage 28. II'he use of door 64 makes possible the machine production of radius 66. Projectionf68 is provided so that as thethrottle valve is opened past the e'nd of radius 66', the throttle opening at start gradually. I

'l'he invention heretoforedescribed is disclosed in my aforementioned Patent No. 2,103,284, dated December 28, 1937, this application constituting' a division thereof.

While one illustrative embodiment has been t described, it is not vmy intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular em#- bodiment, orotherwise than by the terms ofthe appended claims. f' .i f

1.ln a system of the class fdescribed, the com- .v

bination with the intake v.system andthe carburetor throttle valve o ifthe motor,` of a pres-1 sure responsive means for releasing theclutch, means providing a passage between said intake `svstem and said' pressure responsive means,

' 'erationoi said system, said member acting to means when the motor i's idling to open said pas sage whereby'vacuum from. said intake system ,actuates said pressure responsive means to release said clutch, means operating upon' the actuation of said throttle valve control mechanism to reduce the vacuum action on said pressure responsive means whereby said clutch is moved toward engaged position, and' a member responsive to pressure changes accompanying the opopen said throttle valve upon a predetermined 'drop in vacuum in said system.

2. vIn a system of the class described, the coinbination with the intake system,-the carburetor throttle valve and a mechanism for lcontrolling the acceleration of the motor, of apressure responsive means for releasing the clutch. means providing a passage between said intake system and said pressure'responsive means. means when the motor is idling to open said passage whereby vacuum from said intakesystem actuates said this point will amarsi pressure responsive means to release said clutch, means operating upon the actuation of said acceleration mechanism to reduce the vacuum acting on said pressureresponsive -means whereby said clutch is moved toward engaged position, a

member responsive tothe admission of atmosphere 'to said system by said acceleration control mechanismand to atmospheric pressure, and a resilient `means actuating said member in opposition to atmospheric pressure, v said resilient means acting to open said throttle valve upon a predetermined drop in vacuum in said system.

3. In an automatic control lmeans for the clutch of an automotive vehicle, the combination withl the intake system, thev carburetor riser and' throttlevalve, and a vmechanism for 'controlling the throttle valve, of a pressure responsive means for releasing the clutch, means providing a pas, l

sage'between said intake system and said pressure responsive means, a main valve in said passage operable to control communication between said passage and said intake system, and be-- tween saidV passageand the atmosphere,an auxiliary valve in said passage for closing the pas- 'sage between atmosphere and said pressure responsive means, means operating when the aforementioned mechanism` is released -to actuate said main valve and said auxiliary 'valve to provide direct communication between said intake system and said pressure responsive means to release said clutch, means operating upon the actuation of said `throttle valve control mechanisml to 'actuate said main valve to close lsaid passage from the intake system and open said passage to the atmosphere whereby said clutch is moved toward lengaged position. means operative by conditions accompanying the partial engagement ofl the clutch to close said auxiliary valve, and a conduit connecting said passage between said auxiliary valve and said pressure responsive means, to said carburetor riser through a port, said port having all of its area exposed to vacuum in said intake system when said throttle valve is closed, but allowing its area. to be exposedto pressure in said carburetor riser on the 'oppositeside of said throttle valve as said throttle valve is' opened, means controlling the capacity of said port and said conduit, said port being' formed with a curved surface conforming to the motion of said throttle valve.'

a. In an automatic controlA means' for the clutch of an automotive vehicle, the combination with the intake system, the carburetor riser and ythrottle valve, and a mechanism for controlling the throttle valve, of a pressure responsive means for releasingthe clutch, means providing a passage between said intakesystem and said pressure responsive means, a main valve in said passage operable to control communication between said passage and said intake system and be-V tween said passage and the atmosphere, an' auxiliary valve in said passage for closingthe passage between atmosphere and said pressure responsive means, means operating when the aforementionedmechanismisreleased to actuate saidv main valve and said auxiliary valve to provide direct communication between said intake system and said pressure responsive means to release said clutch, means operating upon the actuation of said throttle valve control mechanism l to actuate said main valve to close said passage Afrom said intake system and open said'v passage to the atmosphere whereby said clutchis moved toward engaged position, means operative by conditions accompanying the partial engagement of said clutch to close saidauxiliary valve, a conduit connecting said passage between said auxiliary valve and said pressure responsive means to said carburetor riser through a port, said port having all of its area exposed to vacuum in said intake system when said throttle valve is closed, but allowing its area to be exposed to the pressure in said carburetor'riser on the opposite side of said throttle valve as said throttle valve is opened, said port being formed with a curved surface conforming to the motion ofsaid throttle valve, and said carburetor riser being adapted to receive a detachable member, said detachable member containing said port with curved surface.

5. In an automotive vehicle provided with a clutch, a throttle and an accelerator, linkage interconnecting the throttle and accelerator, power means for operating the clutch including a pressure differential operated motor operably connected to the clutchvalve means for initiating the Llutch disengaging and engaging operations of the motor, and means, connected with the aforementioned throttle operating linkage and controlled by the motor, for automatically operating the linkage to open the throttle when and only when the clutch .plates contact during the clutch engaging operation of the motor.

RALPH S. WHITTINGTON. 

